Everyone is thinking much smarter these days. We are always looking for better ways to improve our quality of life and our health with dieting and exercise. This is especially so due to our busy lifestyles. We have limited time, and it seems that the time is becoming more and more limited. In order to combat a sedentary lifestyle, it is imperative that we not only eat right and exercise but do it efficiently. Maximizing the results and minimizing time is paramount with this goal. One (1) of the most popular forms of exercise is bicycling. However, a disadvantage of this form of exercise is the relatively non-use of the arms. Typical bicycles do a good job of developing muscles and working out the legs; however, bicycles have no capacity to work out upper bodies as well. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which a bicycle can provide a lower body workout as well as an upper body workout. The development of the present invention fulfills this need.
The present invention provides a means to engage the cyclist in a full body workout. The device comprises a bicycle having a rotational handle-bar portion. The cyclist has the same pedaling capabilities as a traditional bicycle, but the handle bars also have the same cycling functions in smaller rotation to exercise the arms. Tensioning mechanisms afford a user the ability to increase or decrease the amount of force required to rotate the handlebars, thus provide a means to control the exercise.
Prior art in this field consists of bicycle having motioning handlebar portions and stationary exercise machines resembling bicycles with arm training apparatuses. Bicycles with motioning handlebars focus on either assisting the driving of the bicycle or providing wider range of motion of the handlebars themselves. In either situation, the motion of the handlebars is inconsistent with the motion of the present invention's handlebars and fails to provide the training and exercise that the present invention's does. While drive-assist motioning of the handlebars of the prior art provides a workout, this is not the intent of such motion; therefore, such motioning fails to accomplish the goal of exercising as efficiently and effectively as the present invention does. Furthermore, prior art fails to provide a means to disengage the motioning of the handlebars so as to enable normal bicycle operation. Some prior art exercise machines resembling bicycles are equipped with rotating handlebars specifically designed to work the arms while simulating cycling. These machines lack the ability to act modes of transport. It is an object of this invention to provide both a means of transport and a means to maximize a workout. It is a further object of this invention to provide an ergonomic configuration conducive for cycling and exercising the upper arms. It is a further objective of this invention to enable control of the effectiveness of the upper body exercise mode of the apparatus. It is a further objective of this invention to enable full disengagement, or arrestment, of the rotational motion of the handlebars so as to operate the bicycle in a normal cycling mode.